The Waters of Nyr by Terrie Leigh Relf

What if your whole life was a lie? How would you react if you discovered you weren’t even from this world? That’s exactly the bombshell that Cassie and Baron must deal with in The Waters of Nyr.

Teenagers Cassie and Baron meet at a community art class and immediately click. It’s not just the fact that they both are raised by their grandmothers and that they’re used to moving around a lot that bonds them. They also both travel to the same strange landscapes in their dreams, which they attempt to capture in their art.

When their grandmothers go missing, Cassie and Baron must rely on each other as they discover they are not who and what they have been raised to believe, instead they hold the key to a matter of intergalactic importance, as only they can open the mysterious waters of Nyr.

The main characters are fun and likable. The descriptions – from Cassie’s art, Selina and Iliana’s behavior, and the Star Gazer Cafe, to all the alien, off world sights, sounds and creatures – are vivid and imaginative. The plot is very entertaining, and I would love to know more about the various planets and how the inhabitants interact.

If I have any quibble with this novel, it is that despite the gravity of the situation, everything is a little too upbeat and safe. However, it’s understandable given the young adult nature of the book. I would also have liked more time spent on the alien planets.

I award The Waters of Nyr…